How To Get A Bladder Infection

Causes Of Bladder Infection

When the bacteria attack the urinary tract, it results in a bladder infection. Women get affected by a bladder infection also due to the short length of their urethra. In men, it is mostly caused due to sexual intercourse with an infected female. The use of contraceptive diaphragms or spermicidal agents is also a reason for bladder infection. Other causes are:

• A feeling of pressure in the lower abdomen.

How Do Utis Affect Pregnancy

Changes in hormone levels during pregnancy raise your risk for UTIs. UTIs during pregnancy are more likely to spread to the kidneys.

If you’re pregnant and have symptoms of a UTI, see your doctor or nurse right away. Your doctor will give you an antibiotic that is safe to take during pregnancy.

If left untreated, UTIs could lead to kidney infections and problems during pregnancy, including:

• Premature birth
• Low birth weight

What Is A Bladder Infection Or Urinary Tract Infection

Any infection that affects a part of your urinary tract is known as a urinary tract infection . One that only affects your bladder is a bladder infection. Doctors may narrow it down to the area that is affected, for example:

• If your urethra is affected, it is known as urethritis
• If your bladder is affected it is known as cystitis
• If your kidneys are affected it is known as pyelonephritis. This is a serious infection that can lead to kidney damage if a bladder infection is left untreated.

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Can You Have Sex If You Have A Uti

In general, it is recommended that you avoid having intercourse when you have an active urinary tract infection. When you get an antibiotic prescription, ask your doctor when the right time to resume sexual activity would be. Of course, you can still kiss and have other intimate and emotional connections.

Once you have completed a course of antibiotics and the UTI has cleared away, you should be able to resume sexual activity. But be sure to take the careful steps necessary to prevent the sex from putting you on the road to yet another one.

What Are The Treatments Available For Bladder Infections In Men

Bladder infections are extremely common and usually not a cause for concern. However, if you get frequent bladder infections or have other chronic bladder diseases you’ll probably want to avoid them. You can prevent most bladder infections by taking certain steps in your daily hygiene routine. Also, you should know that bladder infections can affect your sex life by causing painful urination and a burning sensation while peeing.

People with acute bladder infections are usually recommended a short course of antibiotics but people with more complicated bladder infections will have to take antibiotics for more than 10 days.

Unsweetened Cranberry juice or cranberry supplements can help prevent frequent bladder infections because Cranberry has compounds known as proanthocyanidins that can prevent bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urethra and bladder.

Bladder Infections and UTIs

Urinary tract infections or UTIs are one of the most common infections amongst men. It can be painful and is typically caused by bacteria and/or germs getting into the urinary tract through the urethra, a tube that runs from the bladder to the outside of the body. Bladder infections are one of the most common types of UTI experienced by men around the world.

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What Are The Symptoms Of A Urinary Tract Infection

These are the most common symptoms of a UTI:

• Frequent urination
• Pain or burning when passing urine
• Fever
• Urine looks dark, cloudy, or reddish in color
• Urine smells bad
• Feeling pain even when not urinating
• Tiredness
• Pain in the back or side, below the ribs
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Despite an strong urge to urinate, only a small amount of urine is passed
• Women may feel an uncomfortable pressure above the pubic bone

The symptoms of UTI may look like other conditions or medical problems. Always see a health care provider for a diagnosis.

Bladder Infections In Women

40 percent of women in the United States develop a urinary tract infection at some point in their life.

This is because women have shorter urethras, making the path to the bladder easier for bacteria to reach. Womens urethras are also located closer to the rectum than mens urethras. This means there is a shorter distance for bacteria to travel.

During pregnancy, changes in the urinary tract increase the risk of an infection. Changes in the immune system also increase risk during pregnancy.

Some forms of birth control, like diaphragms and spermicides, may increase your risk of urinary tract infections.

Women are also more prone to recurring infections. About of women will experience a second infection within 6 months of their first infection.

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How Long Does A Uti Last With Antibiotics

UTI is caused by a certain bacteria in the urethra and in the process the use of antibiotics can help to get rid of these bacteria causing the UTIs. Antibiotics are mostly used to treat UTIs effectively within 1 or 2 days.For the antibiotics to be effective, it is recommended to finish the dose prescribed by the doctor. Most people begin to feel better soon after they begin the medicine. Once the patient stops the medication on the way, the infection will reoccur again.These antibiotics are prescribed to the following form of people:

• Women who have recurrent UTIs
• Pregnant women who had recurrent UTIs before getting pregnant or during pregnancy.
• People who have spinal cord injuries or other nervous system conditions that affect urination.
• People who have had a kidney transplant.
• People who are going to have surgery involving the urinary tract.

However, the recent studies show that antibiotics reduce the number of recurrent UTIs but the type of treatment is said to be short acting.

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What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Utis

UTIs can cause such signs as:

• pain, burning, or a stinging sensation when peeing
• an increased urge or more frequent need to pee
• fever
• waking up at night a lot to go to the bathroom
• belly pain in the area of the bladder
• foul-smelling pee that may look cloudy or contain blood

If you have any symptoms of a UTI, youll need to go to a doctor right away. The sooner you begin treatment, the less uncomfortable youll be. Call your doctors office or clinic. If you cant reach your doctor, you can visit an urgent care center or hospital emergency room. The most important thing is to take action as soon as possible.

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Living With Urinary Tract Infections

If you have 3 or more urinary tract infections each year, your doctor may want you to begin a preventive antibiotic program. A small dose of an antibiotic taken every day helps to reduce the number of infections. If sexual intercourse seems to cause infections for you, your doctor many suggest taking the antibiotic after intercourse.

Urinary Tract Infections In Men

Men can get UTIs, particularly if they have trouble with urine flow. Older men who experience prostatitis are at a higher risk. If the bladder is not emptying properly, the build up ofurine makes it more difficult to cure the infection.

A small number of young men may get a UTI. In males, this is usually the result of a sexually transmitted disease.

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Can Urinary Tract Infections Be Prevented Or Avoided

There are many lifestyle choices that can help you prevent UTIs. These are some of the things you can do to protect yourself from them:

• Drink plenty of water to flush out bacteria. For some people, drinking cranberry juice may also help prevent urinary tract infections. However, if youre taking warfarin, check with your doctor before using cranberry juice to prevent urinary tract infections. Your doctor may need to adjust your warfarin dose or you may need to have more frequent blood tests.
• Dont hold your urine. Urinate when you feel like you need to. Some children dont go to the bathroom often enough. If your child does this, teach him or her to go to the bathroom several times each day.
• Wipe from front to back after bowel movements. Teach your child to wipe correctly.
• Urinate after having sex to help wash away bacteria.
• Use enough lubrication during sex. Try using a small amount of lubricant before sex if youre a little dry.
• If you get urinary tract infections often, you may want to avoid using a diaphragm as a birth control method. Ask your doctor about other birth control choices.
• Avoid taking or giving your child bubble baths.
• Wear loose-fitting clothing , and dress your child in loose-fitting clothing.
• If you are uncircumcised, wash the foreskin regularly. If you have an uncircumcised boy, teach him how to wash his foreskin.

In The Meantime There Are A Few Things You Can Do For A Little Relief

Follow the steps above for quick relief from UTIs.

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How Is A Uti Diagnosed

To find out whether you have a UTI, your doctor or nurse will test a clean sample of your urine. This means you will first wipe your genital area with a special wipe. Then you will collect your urine in midstream in a cup. Your doctor or nurse may then test your urine for bacteria to see whether you have a UTI, which can take a few days.

If you have had a UTI before, your doctor may order more tests to rule out other problems. These tests may include:

• A cystogram. This is a special type of x-ray of your urinary tract. These x-rays can show any problems, including swelling or kidney stones.
• A cystoscopic exam. The cystoscope is a small tube the doctor puts into the urethra to see inside of the urethra and bladder for any problems.

How Are Utis Treated

Treatments for UTIs often depend on the severity of the infection. Doctors often divide UTIs into simple and complicated infections.

Bladder infections usually fall into the simple category. Doctors can usually treat them with antibiotics over the course of three to five days. Common antibiotics used to treat bladder infections include trimethoprim, ciprofloxacin, and amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium.

If you have an infection, you should always take all of your antibiotics, even if you feel better. This keeps the infection from coming back.

Complicated UTIs are harder to treat. Kidney infections usually fall into this category. If you have a complicated UTI, you may require IV antibiotics and have to take antibiotics for a week or more.

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How To Get Rid Of A Bladder Infection Fast

If youre reading this post, youre likely in the midst of a bladder infection or urinary tract infection and are in some serious need of relief now! We get it UTIs are no fun they can be really painful, leave you rushing to the bathroom nonstop, and can even lead to leaks. So its no wonder youre researching quick cures for bladder infections.

The best thing you can do for fast relief from a bladder infection is to is see your doctor, and get an antibiotic.

Antibiotics kill the bacteria that causes bladder infections and are the best way to stop a UTI in its tracks. They typically work pretty quickly, although be sure to take your medication for the full course, even if youre feeling better sooner than that. So, if youve been experiencing a UTI for more than a couple of days, make an appointment with your doctor now to get treatment.

Drink Plenty Of Fluids

Dehydration is linked to an increased risk of UTIs.

This is because regular urination can help flush bacteria from the urinary tract to prevent infection. When youre dehydrated, you arent urinating as often, which can create a breeding ground for bacteria.

A examined nursing home residents and administered a drinking schedule to participants to increase their fluid intake. Following the schedule decreased UTIs requiring antibiotics by 56%.

In a 2020 randomized control trial , 140 premenopausal participants prone to UTIs took part in a 12-month study to test if a higher fluid intake would decrease their risk of recurrent cystitis and, in turn, their risk of developing a UTI. Researchers found that an increase in fluid intake led to a decrease in UTI frequency.

To stay hydrated and meet your fluid needs, its best to drink water throughout the day and always when youre thirsty.

Benefits of drinking more fluids for UTI

Drinking plenty of liquids can decrease your risk of UTIs by making you pee more, which helps remove bacteria from your urinary tract.

evidence suggests that increasing your intake of vitamin C could protect against UTIs.

Vitamin C is thought to work by increasing the acidity of urine, killing off the bacteria that cause infection.

An older 2007 study of UTIs in pregnant women looked at the effects of taking 100 milligrams of vitamin C every day.

Fruits and vegetables are especially high in vitamin C and are a good way to increase your intake.

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What Are The Causes Of Bladder Infections In Men

A bladder infection is also called a UTI or urinary tract infection. This infection occurs due to the retention of urine in the urethral tract which causes irritation and the formation of a narrow track. This blockage leads to an infection.

The cause of Bladder infection is the obstruction of the urinary tract, which can be caused due to various reasons like enlarged prostate gland, injury, or a stone in the kidney.

Some other causes of bladder infections include:

• Frequent sexual intercourse with same or new partners.
• Not urinating immediately after sexual intercourse.
• Chronic diabetes.
• Changes in the urinary system.
• Diagnosed with bladder or kidney infection within the past year.

The problems associated with bladder infection are irritation in the urethra, which leads to painful urination, frequent urge to urinate, nausea, and vomiting.

What Causes Urinary Tract Infections

UTIs usually happen because bacteria enter the urethra, then make their way up into the bladder and cause an infection. Girls get UTIs much more often than guys, most likely due to differences in the shape and length of the urethra. Girls have shorter urethras than guys, and the opening lies closer to the anus and the vagina, where bacteria are likely to be.

Bacteria can get into the urethra several ways. During sex, for example, bacteria in the vaginal area may be pushed into the urethra and eventually end up in the bladder, where pee provides a good environment for the bacteria to grow. This is why females who are sexually active often get UTIs.

Bacteria may also get into a girls bladder if she wipes from back to front after a bowel movement , which can contaminate the urethral opening. The use of spermicides and diaphragms as contraceptives also may increase the risk of UTIs.

Sexually transmitted diseases may cause UTI-like symptoms, such as pain with peeing. This is due to the inflammation and irritation of the urethra or vagina thats sometimes associated with chlamydia and other STDs. If untreated, STDs can lead to serious long-term problems, including pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. Unlike UTIs, STDs are contagious.

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How Are Utis Diagnosed

Only a health care provider can treat urinary tract infections. The first thing a doctor will do is confirm that a person has a UTI by taking a clean-catch urine specimen. At the doctor’s office, you’ll be asked to clean your genital area with disposable wipes and then pee into a sterile cup.

The sample may be used for a urinalysis or a urine culture . Knowing what bacteria are causing the infection can help your doctor choose the best treatment.

Urinary Tract Infections In Women

UTIs are common, particularly with increasing age. Women are more likely to get a UTI than men. Nearly 1 in 3 women will have a UTI needing treatment before the age of 24.

In women, the urethra is short and straight, making it easier for germs to travel into the bladder. For some women, UTIs relate to changes in their hormonal levels. Some are more likely to get an infection during certain times in their menstrual cycle, such as just before a period or during pregnancy.

In older women, the tissues of the urethra and bladder become thinner and drier with age as well as after menopause or a hysterectomy. This can be linked to increased UTIs.

During pregnancy, the drainage system from the kidney to the bladder widens so urine does not drain as quickly. This makes it easier to get a UTI. Sometimes germs can move from the bladder to the kidney causing a kidney infection. UTIs during pregnancy can result in increased blood pressure, so it is very important to have them treated as soon as possible.

Women are more at risk of repeated UTIs if they:

• use spermicide jelly or diaphragm for contraception
• have had a new sexual partner in the last year
• had their first UTI at or before 15 years of age
• have a family history of repeated UTIs, particularly their mother
• suffer from constipation

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